Children enjoyed an action packed few days with their parents as part of a programme of short breaks staged by Little Troopers aimed at helping military families reconnect with each other.
Earlier this year the charity launched a series of four weekends for forces families to spend quality time together outdoors, funded by the Team Forces Foundation.
Eight families took part in one at the New Forest Outdoor Centre in Lyndhurst, Hampshire where they stayed in shepherd’s huts and tried raft building and racing on Leominstead Lake, followed by archery and bushcraft.
Parents cooked a barbecue and there were campfire games for the children. Families headed home on Sunday after a morning of trying out high and low ropes amongst the trees.
“It’s been fantastic,” said Natasha Lowe, who was there with her children, Joseph, 13, and Saffron, 11. She said: “No devices, and we actually spent some time together. The raft building, we all got stuck in and enjoyed. “Meeting the other parents and realising that often you are all in the same boat, it has felt like a real military community and all the kids have got on great. We learned new skills like fire lighting which we’d never done before, pushed ourselves and came out our comfort zone. We’ve enjoyed it very much.”
Little Troopers founder Louise Fetigan explained the All Together family reconnection weekends were aimed at families before, during or after a period of separation or deployment, and to help children to connect with their parents and make new friends.
“Our New Forest weekend went brilliantly,” she said. “It was a real joy to see everyone laughing and enjoying some special time together out in nature.”
The Little Troopers weekends invite between eight and ten families, with one or both parents and up to four siblings aged nine to 16, to go away for an exciting few days of outdoor adventure and connection, where they are encouraged to put down their phones, meet new people and make memories.
Go to littletroopers.net to find out more.